Are you ready for independence and the flexibility to explore a variety of passions at once? Almost half of North Americans will be independent workers by 2020, and many will choose where, when and how they work. To learn more about this mind shift, we stopped in Toronto to chat with Sam Laliberte, founder of Freedom Lifestyle, an online community and podcast series that empowers the shift towards freedom in life and work. Read on to learn more about Sam’s entrepreneurial journey, then stay tuned as we chat with Sam and her fellow Canadian doers about the freedom of freelancing on Tuesday night in Toronto.
Tell us a little about you. Who you are, where you’re from, what you do. How long have you been a freelancer?
I’m Sam! I’m a freelancer and host of the Freedom Lifestyle podcast series and community. I quit my job selling software in the summer of 2017 and became a freelancer. I now work wherever, whenever, and however I want!
Tell us a little bit about Freedom Lifestyle. What inspired you to create a community embracing the shift towards independent work?
Flexible work is the future of work! The desire to work on your own terms is an emotionally charged movement that is very much rooted in millennial culture. So many of my peers wanted this (including myself) but didn’t know how to achieve their version of “free.”
What drives you as an entrepreneur? Why do you do what you do?
When I “win” at work, I know it was all me. Being an entrepreneur has really boosted my confidence and my ability to take credit for my work. When I had a 9-5, I experienced a lot of imposter syndrome and felt I got “lucky” when I was successful. I love the entrepreneurial thrill that comes with being responsible for your own success.
How do you use Fiverr as a business and to grow your community? What do you use it for specifically? Any favorite sellers or projects?
As an entrepreneur, your biggest challenges are not having enough time or not having enough money. Fiverr allows me to outsource some of the work involved with growing my brand, that isn’t my strength. Graphics and design work has been the biggest benefit Fiverr has had on me.
For my first business, we actually hired a Fiverr freelancer to design charactateurs of our team with Ariana Grande which we sent to her!
What do you think makes doers in Canada (and Toronto in particular) special?
Canadians are humble and we hustle. We aren’t afraid to ask for help or mentorship in growing our businesses and achieving our dreams. We’re in a city filled with diversity and opportunity, and Torontonians are seizing the moment.
What do you love about the Montreal Toronto entrepreneurial community?
It doesn’t feel like there’s one “right way” to be an entrepreneur in Toronto. Other communities I’ve visited have focused on tech or a particular definition of entrepreneurial success. Toronto celebrates all forms of entrepreneurship which makes the “freedom lifestyle,” accessible to the masses and totally contagious.
What advice do you have for first-time Fiverr buyers?
Be open. You might have a very specific solution you’re looking for but from my experience, the Fiverr freelancers that produce the best results are ones that are given the creative freedom to do so.
What are some of the biggest challenges facing freelancers today? Does Fiverr help to address any of these problems?
Having a steady pipeline of work. So many freelancers go through the ebbs and flows of doing a ton of business development and securing work, then not having the time to get more clients because they’re caught up in executing work for the previous ones. Fiverr provides a freelance marketplace where business can come to you!
What excites you most about the future of work?
I strongly believe that a world where more people are doing things they love, in ways that they love, and from places that they love, will dramatically improve the life experience for themselves and people around them. We deserve this!
Want to hear more from Sam? Subscribe to the Freedom Lifestyle podcast—and join us on 6/5 for a Doers Across Canada doers discussion about entrepreneurialism in Toronto!
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